


A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

by Widowfics



Series: Varian and Whumptober 2020 [15]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010), Varian and the Seven Kingdoms
Genre: Again, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hallucinations, Hurt Varian (Disney), In a way, Inspired by Varian and the Seven Kingdoms - Kaitlyn Ritter & Anna Lencioni, Nuru's POV, OUR BOI SUFFERS AGAIN, Whumptober 2020, a really good idea, ahhhh I love this concept, don't judge I'm just a freshman, hahaha, ngl, the gang finds out about his past, this is like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27047452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Widowfics/pseuds/Widowfics
Summary: Varian finally lifts his head, daring to look his friends in the eye.The few tears running down his face are more than enough to make any anger Nuru might’ve held at the situation melt away.“This wasn’t how you guys were supposed to find out. I...I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you before,” he whispers.orVarian and the gang enter the Air Trial
Relationships: Hugo & Nuru & Varian & Yong (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms)
Series: Varian and Whumptober 2020 [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1940524
Comments: 12
Kudos: 169
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! 7K fic #5...STILL can't believe I'm getting this far...
> 
> welp, enjoy!
> 
> PROMPTS I USED TODAY: hallucinations (sorta)

“Hellooooooo.”

“He-LOOOO.”

“He-”

“Yong, stop it!”

The younger boy’s face flushes in embarrassment.

“Sorry Varian,” he whispers quietly. “This cave is so cool though, better than the one from Bayangor!”

Varian can practically feel Hugo’s eyes rolling behind them, but personally, he can’t help smiling.

“I know, it is. But-” he continues on a more serious note, “if I read my mom’s journal correctly, this trial is different from the others. It just barely follows the laws of science, and can be frustratingly...traumatic.”

“Your mother was quite wise,” a voice ahead of them calls. It takes the three boys a few moments to catch up with Princess Nuru, who has been walking ahead of them and taking everything in. “This cave forces you to relive your biggest regrets. Or at least, that’s what the few people who’ve been inside claim, but they rarely last more than thirty seconds before coming back out.”

“Wait, did you say…” Hugo starts with a voice that for once does not sound annoyed with everyone and everything in the world.

“...biggest regrets?” Varian finishes before Hugo can.

The two look at each other for a brief moment, both visibly paling. Hugo breaks the eye contact and comes closer to Nuru.

“Why didn’t you mention anything before?” 

Nuru shrugs, seemingly unfazed by his tone.

“Why would I? You still must complete the trial for the totem.” She stops, suddenly looking the boy next to her over. “Unless you’re quitting…” she finally says.

Hugo steps back, standing a little straighter.

“No, of course not.”

Nuru nods. “Good.” She turns her head again to see the other boy who had seemed troubled a few minutes ago, but hasn’t said a word since.

“Varian, what about you? Are you still ok?”

Varian doesn’t answer, and the princess notices he seems lost in thought, his right fingers twirling through his long bangs. If she was closer, she might see how his other gloved hand trembles at his side.

“Varian...are you ok?” Yong asks quietly, placing a hand on his arm.

Varian is so deep in memories that he practically jumps at the sudden contact.

“Huh? What?” After a few seconds, his body relaxes and he blinks a couple times, letting his arms fall to his side. “Oh yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

No one says anything, but no one moves, either. Varian realizes this and grabs both his backpack straps, pulling it tighter against him.

“Well, let’s get going, yeah? I kinda wanted to get to the city before night.”

He gently pushes past them, moving farther into the cave. The three others give small looks of confusion, before ultimately following their friend.

They walk for a few minutes before a noise catches their attention, causing all heads to whip around. When there’s nothing to see, they turn again, ready to keep going, but are instead met by a shocking sight. 

The dark, jagged walls of the cave have been replaced by beautiful arches and large windows. A glance down shows that they no longer stand on hard, wet ground, but instead a soft, velvet carpet and the walls bright and happy colors. Warm light floods the room.

“What the…” Yong breathes, spinning in a circle and taking in the new setting.

“The trial must’ve started,” Hugo states matter of factly. “This is a palace,” he adds.

Varian’s heart skips a beat, and then another when his eye catches three thrones at the other side. “Is this-”

“It’s mine,” Nuru blurts. She faces the boys now staring at her. “This...regret. It’s mine.”

She raises a hand, pointing at the three thrones. Varian startles when he notices two of them are now occupied by an older man and woman, one with dark skin and the other deeply tanned.

Without explanation, Nuru approaches the thrones, ascending the few stairs and calmly sitting on the empty one. She gives the others an even stare.

“It’s a memory,” she explains. “They can’t see or hear us. There’s nothing we can do to change the events about to unfold.”

Before anyone can ask any questions, another person appears before what Varian assumes is the King, Queen, _and_ princess of Nuru’s kingdom. He is dressed in expensive looking clothes, so much so that Varian understands he must be royalty as well, though from a different kingdom, it appears.

“Your Majesties,” he is saying. “Everyone in the Seven Kingdoms knows of this - this _problem_ that plagues your cities. It destroys your crops, it crushes your buildings, this annual meteor storm threatens the safety of your subjects! I believe with my resources and technological advances, we could find a solution; all I have are a few simple requests.”

The King and Queen do not look convinced, to say the least.

“I hardly see how control over a quarter of our land, half our harvest, _and_ a future marriage alliance with my daughter, are a few simple requests,” the King states.

Varian notices Nuru wince, at first thinking it’s at the mention of a marriage alliance. Then he hears the voice.

 _“What my father is trying to say,_ King Arnold _, is that we do not need, nor want, your help. Koto is closer than you will ever be to a solution.”_

It’s Nuru’s voice, but her mouth is not moving. It must be what she had said in this memory.

It must be what she regretted.

 _“And tell your son,”_ the voice continues, _“that I would never even consider marrying someone from a kingdom that thrives off of cheating, and stealing.”_

The looks on the faces of the three memory people could be comical if one did not understand the levity of the situation.

“Well, I must admit that I have never actually been to the Air Kingdom before, but it seems that the _princess_ speaks for her people. Just know, that was your last chance. You will be receiving no help from the Kingdom of Ingvarr!”

What happens after that, the rest of the group does not know. The memory fades away and they are returned to the cave. In an instant, Nuru is with them again.

“That year was the worst storm. All the crops were destroyed, the capitol had to be rebuilt. The death count...was in the hundreds. Whether or not we could’ve found a solution with Ingvarr, I don’t know. But I didn’t even bother to find out…”

There’s a moment of silence; no one knows quite what to say. The message on their faces is obvious, though. Even Hugo looks sympathetic.

Finally, Nuru smiles, although the usual joy seems far away.

“Well,” she says. “At least we know how it works now. One down, three to go. I wonder who’s next.”

As if on cue, the walls start to change. Suddenly, they are outside. The heat is the first thing everyone notices.

“Oh no…” Yong whispers.

~

Everyone lets out a sigh. The argument between a past Hugo and another man Hugo refused to name had been tense. And it’s still unclear what they were arguing about; Hugo said to forget it.

After experiencing a firework accident with Yong, the cave had almost immediately shifted to Hugo’s regret.

Meaning there’s one person left.

“You ready, Varian? We’re one vision away from the totem,” Nuru practically cheers.

But Varian doesn’t answer.

She turns around to see him standing a few feet away. His face is almost as white as paper, paler than she’s ever seen him. He’s visibly shaking, looking so weak for a moment that the slightest pressure would send him crumpling to the ground. The others notice and practically run to his side.

“Varian, what’s wrong?” Yong asks, his face also paling.

“Remember,” Hugo orders, “whatever it is, it’s just a memory. We’re so close.”

Varian opens his mouth as if to say something.

“I…”

He’s cut off by the newest change in scenery. A quick look around tells Nuru she’s in a lab. But who’s?

“My lab,” Varian says numbly, answering her question.

“Is this Corona?” Yong asks.

Varian nods.

“Strange,” Hugo muses, twirling a random contraption he had found on a workbench in his hand. “All the other memories have people in them. What could you have done in an empty room?”

“Yeah,” Nuru agrees as she walks around a bit. “There’s no one-”

She gasps as something appears in front of her. She looks up to see...a man? A large man, entrapped in a mysterious yellow substance that came out of nowhere.

“Who…” she starts, her heart rate speeding up.

“My father. There was...an accident,” Varian explains, the emotion in his voice clear.

Nuru’s hand slides against the smooth surface, a strange feeling of intrusion rising in her chest.

“I’m so sorry, Varian.”

“But he’s ok, right?” Yong is asking before Varian can react to her apology. “I mean, you tell me about him all the time.”

“Yeah, yeah, he’s fine."

“So this is your regret?” Hugo questions. “No offense V, but it’s kinda underwhelming.”

A long minute passes before anyone speaks.

Varian finally does.

“It’s only beginning.”

The scene changes again. A palace, they realize, but not like Nuru’s. This palace is dark, and a look through the windows says it was snowing hard, whenever this happened. A young woman stands in front of them, looking extremely distraught, as if she had just made a hard decision. The long, blond braid hanging from her head gives Nuru a clue to her identity.

“The Princess of Corona?”

“No, don’t hurt him!” she begs suddenly, catching Nuru off guard. Before she can ask, though, another voice sounds.

 _“You promised!”_ it echoes, threateningly. _“You promised!”_

The voice belongs to Varian, no doubt. But he sounds so young, so _hurt_. What is happening?

(Varian shivers. He can almost feel the icy grip of soldiers’ hands around his arms, dragging him away from his only hope.)

The scene changes once again. The same girl is there, with different clothes and a different facial expression. She looks...betrayed.

The same, ghostly voice is there too.

 _“Rapunzel, I_ used _you. I begged you and this kingdom for help, everyone turned their back on me! It has to be this way.”_

His voice still sounds young, but not as broken. Anger has taken place; the words radiate pure rage, and hate.

Rapunzel turns around quickly, catching the group’s attention. She raises her hands to her head.

“I defied a direct order from my father, the _king_ , because I trusted you. We both broke the law!”

She sighs, now facing them once again.

“Give me the flower, Varian. We can find a way to fix all this. The-the rocks, your dad, everything, I promise you, I _promise_. Just, this is not the way.” She clasps her hands together, pleading with her eyes as much as her words.

“ _Please._ ”

Then, silence. Nothing happens for a moment, but the scene doesn’t change. The princess still stands there, waiting for an answer. But the thing that interrupts is not a voice; the rattling of doors echoes through the room. Nuru chances a glance at Varian, only to see him squeezing his eyes shut.

Finally, the expected voice rings loud and clear.

_“Sorry, Princess. But I know firsthand how well you keep promises.”_

The rattling stops, and instead the doors burst open, causing everyone besides Varian to step back defensively. Two other people that Nuru doesn’t recognize have entered the room, flanked by what seems to be royal guards.

“There he is, get him!” the man of the two shouts, pointing towards them.

Before anyone can react, though, a large cloud of purple smoke rises up and blocks their vision. Nuru waves her hand in front of her face, trying to see again. When it clears, their surroundings have changed.

Rapunzel is _still_ there, but this time it’s harder to see her, as she is wrapped in the arms of what is very obviously the King and Queen of Corona.

A quick glance at the newest setting is all Nuru needs to know that they’re back in Varian’s lab. In fact, when she takes a step back, she is stopped by that strange yellow substance, apparently still trapping Varian’s father.

A voice rings through the silence.

_“No, no! I wasn’t wrong!”_

After the past few memories, Nuru can guess who it belongs to. Yet, the amount of desperation and anger channeling from it makes it near unrecognizable.

 _“No, it’s not my fault,”_ Varian continues. _“None of it is…”_

 _“It’s_ her _fault.”_

Only a moment passes before the Royal Family is speaking.

“Rapunzel? Are you ok?” the King asks his daughter.

She takes a deep breath, as if she is considering the question.

“Yes, I will be,” she finally says. She looks past her parents, her gaze seemingly fixed on the group of kids that don’t belong.

“Varian,” she breathes, and Nuru sees the boy tense up. “Oh no, where did he go?”

Before an answer comes, Nuru is caught off guard by a feeling that she’s rising. But wait, she _is_ rising. They all are, and in one literal blink, she realizes that they are now in some sort of...robot?

She can still see Rapunzel, but her view is tinted red by the window she now peers out. There is a panel of levers in front of an empty seat that seem to be moving by themselves as the “robot” moves forward. Nuru understands Varian must’ve been operating whatever this machine was in real life.

 _“Sorry, Princess,”_ his voice calls out, confirming her suspicion. _“We were in this together. But if I can’t have a happy ending, then neither can you!”_

The fist of the machine comes down near the family, who run away just in time. They rush forward, bursting out of the building with no regard for the level of destruction that follows. They are met with what seems to be an ongoing battle between more robots and Corona’s royal guard. Nuru recognizes a familiar face - one of the people that was after Varian in the last memory - as she lunges for them. Unfortunately for her, she is caught in the grip of their robot. She cries out in pain as it squeezes her. The robot’s other fist grabs the nearby queen, doing the same.

And then, all of a sudden, the memory must skip ahead, because now the Coronan princess stands before them, hair glowing and surrounded by strange black rocks, also glowing. In the distance, Nuru can see many of the just fighting robots impaled by these very rocks.

The flash of a metal hand darting towards Rapunzel jerks Nuru’s attention back. It’s stopped by another rock skewering through it. As if in response, the levers move back and forth vigorously, as a shout of frustration bounces through the confined space.

A loud crunching sound catches Nuru’s attention, and she watches in horror as a black spike shoots up inches in front of her face.

 _“NO!!!”_ Varian’s ghostly voice screams, but it fades along with the scene. Soon everything is dark once more.

What is happening? Everything’s going by so fast, even Nuru’s capable mind is struggling to keep up. First the man in the amber, the dark palace hallway, then the argument with the flower, and now this?

How many regrets could this boy not much older than herself _have_? What could he have done in such a lifespan?

How much had Varian been hiding from them?

She puts a hand out for support, not knowing what she’ll find. To her surprise, cold, damp rock meets her fingertips. Could it...are they back in the cave? Are the memories over?

She opens her mouth to speak her thoughts, but stops. Something has caught her eye - metal, shining in the moonlight.

So, not the cave then. One last memory, a voice inside says.

Now that her eyes seem to be adjusting to the dark, she realizes there’s metal all around them. A cot hanging from the wall by chains. A small window with slits. A bucket in the corner.

The bars and the lock give it away.

This is a prison.

Nuru’s first instinct is to turn to Varian. He’s barely said a thing this entire time, and she feels they deserve answers.

But Varian is not standing in the back anymore. Instead, he walks past Nuru slowly, eyes trained on a wall. The others follow behind, intrigued at the sudden motion.

He stops before a full length mirror smudged with grime that Nuru had not noticed before. But when she peers at it, she can’t help but gasp at the sight.

The only reflection that stares back is Varian’s, but it’s not...him.

No, this Varian is filthy, dirt and blood streaking through long, unkept hair. He’s clothed in an oversized, torn up shirt and ratty pants. A thick chain is wrapped around his skinny, bruised ankle.

Try as she might, Nuru cannot see the sweet, considerate, funny boy that she had known for the past couple weeks, in the obvious criminal before her. _What had he done?_

“One year,” Varian says, breaking the silence. Three heads snap towards him, though _his_ gaze is fixed on the floor.

“I was in prison...for one year,” he continues. “Would’ve been more, but I escaped. Even helped take over the kingdom for a little bit. Not that I deserved it…”

He stops to hug himself, a nervous tic Nuru had noticed whenever they were in intense situations.

“When Rapunzel came back, I wasn’t mad at her anymore. Just... _scared_. That she wouldn’t forgive me, that no one would, and I would end up in this t-terrible cell again. But...she did. They did. I helped them take the kingdom back and she even freed my dad. After - after everything I did…”

Varian finally lifts his head, daring to look his friends in the eye.

The few tears running down his face are more than enough to make any anger Nuru might’ve held at the situation melt away.

“This wasn’t how you guys were supposed to find out. I...I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you before,” he whispers.

For a moment, no one says anything. It’s a staring contest, three to one. In the back of her mind, Nuru notices they are truly back in the cave, but she can’t bring herself to care.

It’s Yong who makes the first move, unsurprisingly. He wraps his arms around Varian, burying his head in his chest. Varian’s hands fly up at the impact, but quickly settle gently on the younger boy’s head.

“It’s ok, Varian,” Yong says, voice muffled. “We know you’re not dangerous. You’re our friend!”

Nuru watches the teen’s reaction to the assurance. He looks so...relieved. And Nuru may not _completely_ understand exactly what happened, but she understands Varian is doing his best to move on. And there is no way she’s going to let herself, or anyone else, get in the way of that.

Before she can get a word out, though, someone else speaks.

“Varian.”

Varian, Yong, and Nuru all turn their heads to see Hugo standing a few feet away (Nuru hadn’t even realized he left). He holds an object in the palm of his hand, a small, clear sphere with white and blue whisps floating around inside.

“The air totem,” she breathes. In the emotional aftermath of the trial, she had completely forgotten the goal.

Hugo walks a few steps, choosing to stand before Varian. He slowly holds out the totem, a small smile forming on his face.

Meanwhile, Varian’s face conveys pure disbelief. They all know how important the totems are to Hugo, and how he usually insists on carrying them. What is he doing?

“What are you-” the shorter teen starts, but is cut off by Hugo shaking his head gently.

“Look, I think it’s pretty obvious who earned this today,” is his simple explanation. He takes Varian’s hand and places the object there, before dropping his own to his sides.

“Guys, I don’t…” he tries, looking at each of his friends. “You’re all ok with it? With me? You’re not mad? Worried?”

Nuru shushes him, finally getting her chance to talk as she moves closer.

“Varian, we trusted you when we met you, and we trust you now. You’ve never done anything to lose that trust.”

And before he can react, she throws her arms around him. It doesn’t take long for Yong to join, and then even Hugo.

Varian practically melts in their embrace.

“I love you guys,” he finally whispers..

“We love you too,” Nuru answers immediately. 

“And we are so, so proud of you.”

**Author's Note:**

> thx for reading:)


End file.
